Meetings

The Committee considered the further correspondence received and the provision of high-level information relating to the presence of asbestos within school buildings in Wales. The Committee acknowledged that this does not go as far as the petitioner is seeking, however, given the detailed consideration given to this petition since it was first submitted, the Committee agreed that there was little further action that it would usefully be able to take at this time. Members agreed to close the petition and thank the petitioner.

The Committee considered further correspondence and agreed to:

·         await the publication of the high level information about asbestos management in schools, with a view to ending its consideration of the petition once this has been done; and

·         await the views of the petitioners on the response provided by the Minister.

The Committee considered further information and agreed to write to the Minister for Education to ask for an update in relation to the publication of high level information about asbestos management in schools, as referred to in her previous correspondence.

The Committee considered further information from the Welsh Government and brief comments from the petitioner, and agreed to await the publication of information arising from the school condition survey and new Asbestos Management in Schools Guidance, and to offer the petitioner an opportunity to respond in more detail , before considering whether it wishes to take any further action on the petition.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, along with further comments from the petitioner, and agreed to await a further update on the Cabinet Secretary for Education’s decision in relation to publishing information from the school condition survey, and the publication of updated Asbestos Management in Schools Guidance.

The Committee considered an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Education together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to request an update from the Cabinet Secretary once she has considered the responses to the school condition survey and the consultation with key stakeholders on Guidance on Management of Asbestos in Schools.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and agreed to:

·         consider comments, received from the petitioner after the papers had been published, at a future meeting; and

·         write back to the Cabinet Secretary to express their view that the results of the school condition survey should be published.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education together with further comments from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary to ask:

·         the questions proposed by the petitioner, including over the consultation on revised asbestos management in schools guidance planned for early 2018; and

·         that she ensures that all Local Authorities respond fully to the school condition survey report.

The Committee considered correspondence from the petitioner and agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to ask:

·         whether and how the Welsh Government intends to share the results of its data collection into schools with asbestos plans; and

·         for an update on when the Asbestos in Schools Working Group will be holding discussions to consider recent developments in England and their applicability to schools in Wales.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and agreed to await further comments from the petitioner on the information provided by the Cabinet Secretary and noted that they wish to pursue the matter further on receipt of the petitioner’s response.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and, given the time that has passed since evidence was taken by the previous Petitions Committee, agreed to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Education to seek the Government’s current position on the issues raised by the petitioner.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         seek the Minister’s views on the petitioner’s further comments; and

·         request a summary of the work already undertaken to inform the consideration of the incoming Committee.

The Committee considered correspondence from the Minister for Education and Skills and agreed to await a more substantive response from the petitioner.

The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the petition until further information has been received from the Minister following his evidence session on 24 November.

Huw Lewis AM – Minister for Education and Skills

Joanne Larner – Welsh Government

Kathryn Massey – Welsh Government

The Minister answered questions from the Committee.

The Minister agreed to write to the Committee to:

·         Confirm whether asbestos management is included in governor training programmes; and

·         Provide further information on the membership of the asbestos working group and its terms of reference.

Cenric Clement-Evans answered questions from the Committee.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to give oral evidence on the petition. 

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to:

• ask the Minister to respond on the question of setting up an Asbestos in Schools Steering Group to assist the Department for Education and Skills as it forms and reviews policy on the issue;
• consider whether to invite the Minister to attend a future Committee meeting to answer questions on the matter.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills:

·         Seeking his views on the petitioner’s further comments and in particular, asking for his views on the petitioner’s proposal to set up a steering group to include experts from every sector; and

·         Thanking him for undertaking to provide a written update to the Committee by 5 June.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         ask the Minister to respond to the petitioner’s further comments, in particular the three requests on the final page of his response; and

·         consider in light of that response whether to take oral evidence from the Petitioner and the Minister.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills:

·         Seeking his views on the further correspondence received and ask that he keeps the Committee informed of his consideration of the consultation in England;

·         Asking him to outline the reasons for not carrying out a consultation at this time; and

·         Conveying the Committee’s view that this is an area where Wales should be proactive and that it would be regrettable if Wales lagged behind England in the accessibility of information about the presence and management of asbestos in school buildings.

The Committee considered the petition and agreed to write to:

·         the Minister forwarding the petitioner’s recent correspondence;

·         the Chair of the Children and Young People Committee drawing attention to the petition; and

·         the following stakeholders seeking their views on the petition:

o   Wales Trades Union Congress;

o   the Welsh Local Government Association; and

o   Governors Wales.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         write to the HSE to seek their perspective on the work being done in schools in England and to ask why there is no statutory requirement to inform students and parents about asbestos management in schools; and

·         seek the petitioner’s views on the legal advice given at the meeting.

The Committee considered correspondence on the petition and agreed to:

·         write to the Minister for Education and Skills, sharing the petitioner’s correspondence and asking whether his views differ in light of this; and

·         seek a legal brief clarifying whose remit the issue falls within. 

The Committee considered the petition for the first time and agreed to write to the Minister for Education and Skills seeking his views on the petition.